Investigated the effects of a 4 X 4 block scheduling program on a variety of student measures in a middle school with 355 block-scheduled students, some of whom were in high school at the time of the study. Results of the block scheduling were generally consistent with existing literature and generally positive. (SLD)

This report describes a study of the effects of using pretests in science classes on chapter test achievement results. The targeted population consisted of eighth grade science students at a junior high school from 1992 to 2001. Whether giving a pretest followed by a posttest at the end of the chapter, or giving only the test at chapter end…

The Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS), Form U were administered to all students in Grades 5, 7, and 9 in the San Diego City Schools during the last two weeks of April, 1983. This report is intended to respond to two primary questions: (1) how are San Diego elementary and junior high students doing relative to the national norm group, and…

Uses a representative national sample from the National Education Longitudinal Study, focusing on students before high school and controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). Findings show that performance of students in single- versus dual-parent families significantly depends on SES. At the mean level of SES there is no statistically significant…

In 1991, Ohio received National Science Foundation (NSF) funding through its Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) program. One aspect of the reform effort involved evaluating the performance of middle school students with a test item bank of items from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This paper presents the results of…

Achievement and enrollment information for the Kansas City Middle School of the Arts (Missouri) is evaluated in this report that covers the first four years of the implementation of a magnet theme for the school. Primarily, achievement and enrollment are measured by trends in student integration and standardized test scores. The tests for which…

This report is designed for educators who are involved in teaching, developing, or evaluating curriculum in the middle and junior high schools. It describes the content and application of Florida's eighth grade writing test, and it offers suggestions that might be helpful in preparing students for the assessment. The 1990 Florida legislature…

Describes the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1997 Arts Assessment of music, theater, visual arts, and dance. Presents results for the achievement of eighth graders in music, theater, and visual arts. (Author)

Used data for students in grades 5 through 8 to evaluate the effects of the Comer School Development Program in 10 inner city Chicago, Illinois, schools over 4 years. Data suggest that the Comer program caused positive changes in standardized test scores and in the beliefs, feelings, and behaviors relative to disruptive and illegal student…

This study examines the correlation between absence, cognitive skills index (CSI), and various achievement indicators such as the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) test scores, discrepancies, and school-based English and mathematics tests for 64 seventh-grade students from one middle school. Scores for each of the subtests…

Results of two experiments involving 35 college students and 96 junior high school students studying spontaneous cognitions after receiving test results or taking a test show that success triggers evaluative cognitions while failure triggers attributions, particularly in uncertain situations.(SLD)

The results from the third administration of the 8th and 11th grade science and social studies portions of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) represent an important step in Delawares efforts to educate all students to a higher level. Science and social studies data for grades 8 and 11 are summarized here, and the results for grades 4 and…

As almost every state revises its mathematics frameworks or develops new ones, current testing practices remain almost unchanged. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), in its "Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics," argues for greater emphasis on application, reasoning, and conceptual understanding, but the…

This report contains the results from the first administration of the 8th and 11th grade science and social studies portions of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). As such, they are an important part of the state's efforts to educate all students to a higher level. Science and social studies data for grades 8 and 11 are summarized here;…

This report describes the first of a series of research projects which will attempt to characterize the performance of Hawaii's public school system. The measure of performance was the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics examinations and their linked versions used in the 1991 International Assessment. The NAEP was…